PML-N sweeps Punjab by-polls

LAHORE/GUJRANWALA – The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz dominated the by-polls by claiming both National Assembly seats, besides winning four out of six Punjab Assembly seats wheras the PPP got a consolatory victory in Nowshero Feroz.One seat of the Punjab Assembly went to independent candidate and one to the PML-Q. The PPP could not manage to score a win on any seat of the National or Punjab Assembly.According to unofficial results, PML-N showed outstanding performance by defeating both PPP and PML-Q.PML-N candidate Zahid Iqbal won the National Assembly seat NA-162 Chichawatni by securing 75,966 votes.NA-107 Gujarat seat also went to the PMNL-N as its candidate Malik Hanif got 106,658 votes and PML-Q candidate Rehman Nasir trailed behind with 76,041 votes, according to unofficial results.PML-N candidate Hanif Jut from PP-226 Kassoval got 42,294 votes, beating PML-Q candidate Mrs Iqbal with a margin of some 7,000 votes.In Sialkot, the PML-N won and re-gained its both seats by claiming victory in by-polls at the two Punjab Assembly seats PP-122 Sialkot-II and PP-129, Sialkot-IX. Both the seats were vacated by the former PML-N MPAs Chaudhry Ikhlaq Ahmed and Chaudhry Jamil Ashraf Baryar due to dual nationalities.In PP-122 Sialkot-II, PML-N candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Ikram knocked out Raja Aamir Khan a joint candidate of PPP and PML-Q.In PP-129 Sialkot-IX, PML-N’s Chaudhry Mohsin Ashraf Baryar defeated Chaudhry Ansar Iqbal Baryar, A joint candidate of the PPP the PML-Q. The PPP and PML-Q had fielded joint candidates in these constituencies against the PML-N. The overall turn out of the voters remained between 35 to 40 percent in both constituencies. The contest at PP-92 Gujranwala resulted in favour of PML-N candidate Nawaz Chohan who won, according to unofficial results, by getting 36,547 votes while PPP candidate Lala Asadullah’s ballot count ended at 16,492.PML-Q candidate Umar Sharif from PP-133 Narowal emerged victorious with 29,308 votes, defeating independent candidate Ghiasuddin who got 23,044 votes.From Jhelum, independent candidate Khadim Hussain won the seat from PP-26 by getting 39,154 votes while his closest rival was also an independent candidate, Raja Muhammad Afzal Khan, who got 19,044 votes. MPA-elect Khadim Hussain announced to join the PML-N after winning registering the victory.In Sindh, PPP candidate Sarfaraz Shah won from Nowshero Feroz PS-21 by accumulating 40,520 votes while the other major contestant, NPP’s Abrar Shah took only 2,034 votes for a losing cause.During the balloting, many violations were reported of the code of conduct announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.The supporters of PML-N allergy did aerial firing in Sahiwal, Gujranwala and Chichawatni. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the ECP took notice of the matter, a TV channel reported.According to reports, the ECP code of conduct was torn off in many constituencies as supporters of candidate, particularly of the PML-N, swaying guns at their offices and did aerial firing as well.The activists of the PML-N and the PML-Q engaged in a scrum at a polling station in Sialkot’s PP-122. Police and local administration intervened in the fight and disperse the trouble makers.After the incident, PPP candidate Raja Amir boycotted the election, saying that he was getting life threats by the PML-N. He accused the PML-N off rigging, saying that PML-N set up camps at each polling station and the ECP appeared to be failed to control them.